Swing
by GRACE5
Summary: If I never see your face again, it'll be too soon. Tiva familyish. Angst/potential fluff
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this is my new story. It shouldn't be too long, just a couple chapters.**

Chapter One

"Mommy, let's go to the park." The little boy exclaimed as he saw the colorful plastic and swings off in the distance.

"Okay, sweetheart, but let us get some water first." Ziva laughed at her son's excitement. "It's hot and we do not want to get dehydrated."

"But it just rained this morning." He said as he followed his mother to a concession stand.

"Yes, so the ground is hydrated." Ziva smiled. "Not you."

"Okay Mommy." He forfeited as he took his mother's hand and waited as she purchased the water bottle.

"Can I go play now?" he asked as they sat on a bench across from the playground and shared the water bottle.

"Take a couple more sips." Ziva smiled as she watched his eyes follow all the other children running around.

"Is one gulp the same?" He grinned and Ziva nodded as he took a gulp.

"Thanks, Mom." He said as he handed the water bottle back to her and ran off towards the swings.

Ziva couldn't help but smile as she watched her son happily climb on a swing and push off the ground trying to get as high as he could. His smile was dazzling as he giggled and competed with the boy next to him to see who could swing higher. She saw a man with a little girl walk down the path towards her but didn't bother to really look at them, her attention was focused on her boy. She knew he would try some trick off the swing, whether it be a back flip or jumping as far he could, he would try a stunt.

"Ziva?" the man gasped as he and the girl came to a stop next to her on the bench.

"Ziva." The girl repeated as she looked Ziva up and down. "That's a cool name."

"Thank you." Ziva smiled at the child then looked up to the man. "What's your name?"

"Lauren," she sighed. "Original, I know."

"I still think it's pretty." Ziva smiled as the man swallowed hard and took a seat next to her on the bench.

"Thank you." She smiled with a slight blush.

"What are you doing here, Ziva?" he asked and she finally looked at him. "On a bench, watching children?"

"I'm here with my-." Ziva started but was interrupted.

"Mommy!" the little boy called from the swing. "Watch this!"

"Thomas Zane, do not jump-." But before she could get the words out Thomas flew from the swing.

"Did you see how far I went?" He beamed proudly as he ran over to his mother.

"Thomas, how many times have I told you not to jump from the swings?" Ziva asked unamused as she handed him the water bottle.

"17?" Thomas grinned and Ziva could feel Tony tense next to her.

"Tony, Lauren." Ziva said ignoring Thomas' sarcasm. "This is my son Thomas."

"How old are you?" Lauren asked as her dark blue eyes examined Thomas.

"I'll be 7 in 2 days." Thomas said as he backed himself between his mother's legs and leaned his back against her chest.

"I'm Lauren." Lauren introduced herself then pointed to Tony. "He's Tony. He's not my dad, he's my mom's boyfriend."

"Hi." Thomas said as he looked to Tony who continued to stare at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry." Tony said as he looked between mother and son.

"Can I go play again?" Thomas asked shyly as he looked back at his mother.

"Stay away from those swings." Ziva warned as she kissed his cheek and ruffled his dark hair.

"Okay." He nodded as he started to run away than looked back to Lauren. "Do you wanna come?"

"Sure." Lauren said as she followed Thomas to the playground.

"He has my eyes." Tony said as they watched the children run off.

"Your smile too." Ziva sighed as she glanced at Tony, his eyes still on Thomas.

"You're not even gonna try and deny it?" Tony asked as he looked at her with his eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar.

"He just told you his 7th birthday is in two days, meaning he was conceived in October 2012. He has your eyes, smile, and love to try and get a rise out of me." Ziva laughed as she settled her eyes on Tony. "It would be a waste of time to deny it."

"His eyes are green, but they are rimmed in a dark brown." Tony said glancing back to the kids. "Like yours."

"I know." Ziva laughed. "I think they're beautiful."

"They are." Tony said. "Especially with those long curly black eyelashes."

"He is a handsome boy." Ziva smiled proudly, but her smile soon faded as she saw the anguish on Tony's face.

"What are you doing here, Ziva?" Tony asked knowing full well she wasn't in D.C. to tell him about Thomas.

"I know you said if you never saw my face again, it would be too soon." Ziva nodded and Tony sucked in a breath and looked away from both Ziva and Thomas. "But Thomas and I are here for vacation. His birthday is July 4th and he has never been to Washington. He loves history too."

"So D.C. is perfect for him." Tony sighed as he heard Thomas and Lauren laughing with the other children.

"Plus the fireworks are amazing." Ziva added.

"Where do you guys live?" Tony asked still refusing to look at her.

"Annapolis." She said. "I teach different languages the academy."

"Wow." Tony said as Thomas and Lauren came running towards them.

"Hello, love." Ziva said as she pushed hers son's sweaty hair of his forehead, spiking it slightly. "Are you ready to go?"

"Uh huh." He nodded as he finished the water bottle and walked to throw it in the trash not too far away.

"Tony, Lauren?" an attractive blonde woman asked as she approached them.

"Hi Mommy." Lauren smiled as she immediately went over to her mother and hugged her.

"Jen, this is my friend Ziva." Tony said and Ziva and Lauren exchanged a smile and a handshake.

"That's Thomas." Lauren said as Thomas reclaimed his position next to Ziva. "Thomas, this is my mom."

"Hi." Thomas grinned as he rested his head on Ziva's arm.

"Nice to meet you both." Jen smiled. "Please, have dinner with us tonight."

"No, that's okay." Ziva declined politely and with a smile. "We do not want to impose."

"Please," Jen repeated. "We only know Tony's friends from work. I insist you eat with us."

"We won't bite." Lauren laughed and Ziva looked to Thomas who was yawning.

"Excuse me." He said shyly as he noticed everyone looking at him.

"Would you like to have dinner with us, Thomas?" Jen asked sweetly as she looked at the little boy who was cuddling against his mother.

"Um." Thomas started as he looked at Tony who was still staring at him. "Mommy?"

"Whatever you would like, Thomas." Ziva said as she kissed his temple.

"It'll be fun." Lauren chimed in. "I have swings in my backyard."

"Okay." Thomas said as he looked up to Jen. "Thank you."

"No problem hunny." Jen smiled as she touched Tony's shoulder but he continued to look at Thomas and Ziva.

~Later at Dinner~

"Excuse me, I have to take this." Jen said as she answered her ringing cell phone and Ziva smiled and headed towards the back door in search of her son.

"Tony? What are you doing?" Ziva asked as she saw him standing next to the screen door.

"Listening." Tony said in a shushed voice.

"To what?" Ziva asked as she laughed at him.

"Where's your dad, Thomas?" Lauren asked as the two continued to swing. "Did he stay at home?"

"No." Thomas said softly as he looked to his legs, which were pumping him higher and higher on the swings.

"Well, where is he?" she pressed. "My mommy and daddy aren't together any more. My daddy has his own place not too far. Where does your daddy live?"

"I dunno." Thomas sighed and tears stung Ziva's eyes as she noticed her son's defeated demeanor and tone.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Lauren asked curiously. "Where'd he go?"

"I dunno." Thomas repeated glancing over at Lauren. "Away."

"Away where?" Lauren asked ignoring the tears in Thomas voice and eyes. "Like, down the street like my daddy?"

"He's just away." Thomas whimpered.

Tony glanced over to Ziva, tears were streaming freely down her face as she listened to Thomas. Tony didn't even notice the tears streaming down his own face.

"Is he coming back?"

"I dunno." Thomas shrugged as his legs hung limp below him and he lost his height.

"You don't know much." Lauren sighed as she studied her new friend. "Did he not want you? My mommy says that's how people make a baby. A man and a woman in love…did your daddy not love you and your mommy?"

"Guess not." Thomas cried as he clenched his jaw tight in order to keep his lip and chin from quivering. His swing slowly stopped but his watery green eyes remained on the ground below his feet.

"Your mommy loves you, though." Lauren offered as she patted Thomas' back.

"She does." Thomas nodded as he tried to calm his breathing and tears. "A lot."

"Damnit Ziva." Tony cursed as he looked away from his heart broken son to his heart broken ex. "What did you tell him about me?"

"Nothing." Ziva said as she wiped furiously at her face trying to remove the tears. "He has never asked and I did not know what to say! Why would I make a perfectly happy child sad by telling him his father does not even know about him? If and when he asks me about you I will be more than happy to answer his questions, honestly."

"You can have Tony." They both heard Lauren offer. "He's around a lot but I already have a dad. Since you don't, you can have him. I don't like him that much any way. I mean, he's okay, a little weird though. He says the strangest things."

"That's okay." Thomas laughed. "He keeps staring at me." And they giggled.

"Annapolis is only about 45 minutes east of here." Tony said and Ziva looked at him confused.

"And?"

"Ziva, I want him to know me." Tony sighed as he wiped the tears from his own face. "We just watched his heart break because of us, Zi."

"Do you not remember what happened the last time we saw each other?" Ziva screamed at him, fresh tears rolling down her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hope my fellow Americans enjoyed their 4****th****. **

Chapter Two

"I remember just fine." Tony growled. "And I'm pretty sure what happened between us should've stayed between us and not hurt our kid and friends."

"What do you care, Tony?" Ziva sighed. "We both got fresh starts, we have both moved on and are happy."

"No, Ziva, you got the fresh start. You got our baby, a new job, a new town, and a new home." Tony glared as he stepped closer to her and dropped his voice lower. "I got an abandoned engagement ring, an empty house, and all our confused friends."

"I did not know I was pregnant when we broke up." She stated as she glimpsed to the children to make sure they weren't watching.

"Who gives a shit!" Tony yelped. "You still knew and didn't tell me."

"Aren't you even concerned about his conception?" Ziva diverted and Tony gave her another 'who cares' look. "Despite your sincere dislike for condoms we were still careful."

"Abstinence is the only 100% effective way to prevent pregnancy." Tony said unamused. "We were as far from abstinent as two could get."

"In that alley, against a brick building is where he was conceived. That angry rage after we broke up." She explained but Tony still seemed uninterested.

"Who cares? This isn't 7th Heaven, Ziva." Tony hissed. "I don't think Thomas will care where he was conceived. I don't think he'll even want to know. The point is you were pregnant and didn't tell me."

"That much is obvious, Tony." Ziva hissed as she went to walk away from him but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.

"Then let me rephrase." He seethed as he stepped closer to her. "My problem is why didn't you tell me."

"I had already established myself in Annapolis and at the academy. In that short amount of time I had actually made friends." Ziva tried but Tony glared harder and practically growled at her.

"Bullshit." Tony said as he backed her against the wall. "Why, Ziva?"

"Because I did not want to." She rushed out and Tony immediately stepped back, as if he'd been slapped.

"I don't give a fuck if you wanted to." He said softly as his face fell.. "I still had the right to know."

"Know what?" Lauren asked confused.

"Nothing, sweetie." Ziva smiled gently and then looked to Thomas. "Hungry Thomas?"

"Yes." He nodded as he stepped closer to his mother and glared at Tony, whose face was red.

"I bet dinner's almost ready." Lauren smiled as she bounced her way into the kitchen.

"Mommy?" Thomas asked softly as he looked up at Ziva.

"Yes, love?" she responded as she ran her hand through his dark hair.

"Can we still go swimming tonight?" he smiled sweetly.

"If the pool is open, of course." Ziva laughed as she glanced to Tony who was intently watching the interaction between mother and son. "Why don't you go see what Lauren is up to."

"Okay." Thomas said as he disappeared en route to the kitchen.

"He seems like he's a good kid." Tony smiled gently as he looked back to where Thomas went.

"He is." Ziva stated. "He is also very smart."

"I bet." Tony laughed as the kids came back and pulled them towards the kitchen for dinner.

Dinner went on without a hitch. Thomas and Lauren talked mostly, telling different stories about their schools and friends. Jen mentioned that she was a lawyer and Ziva almost choked on her chicken as she tried to suppress her laugh. Tony didn't talk or look at Ziva and Ziva didn't bother talking or looking at him either.

"Thank you for dinner, Jen." Ziva smiled as she shifted some of Thomas' half sleeping weight.

"Thank you." Thomas mumbled as he snuggled into his mother's neck. "It was good."

"Well, thank you Thomas. It was a pleasure to have you, both of you." Jen smiled as she looked to Tony who was still staring at Thomas. "Tony?"

"Yeah, glad you could make it." Tony smiled and Ziva nodded.

"Have a good night." Ziva smiled as she opened the front door and Tony followed her out.

"Momma?" Thomas asked against her neck.

"Hmm?" Ziva asked as she walked down the driveway towards where the taxi should have been waiting for them.

"Does the hotel have a night light?" he asked, honestly concerned as he pulled his head from her neck and looked at her with wide, tired green eyes.

"Yes, hunny." She laughed and kissed his cheek.

"Where's the taxi?" Thomas asked as he looked at the empty street.

"I'm driving you home." Tony said as he dangled his keys. "Well, to your hotel."

"You said the taxi was here." Ziva glared as she shifted Thomas.

"I lied." Tony said as he unlocked his Mustang and shifted the driver's seat forward so Thomas could get in the back. "Come'on, Ziva, at least I won't charge you."

"It is fine, Tony, I will walk." Ziva smiled as she turned from Tony.

"I'm not going to let you walk back to your hotel holding a seven year old." Tony growled and Ziva glared back at him. "Just get in the car. At least you can get Thomas to bed quicker."

"I'm not tired." Thomas pouted then soon contradicted with a yawn.

"Please." Tony said as he motioned to the car.

"Okay." Ziva said as she listened to Thomas continue to yawn.

"Where to?" Tony grinned as they pulled out of the driveway.

"The Omni." Ziva said as she looked back to Thomas who was marveling at the car. "Thomas Zane, do you have your seatbelt on?"

"Kinda." He giggled as he quickly reached for the seatbelt.

"Thomas Zane." Tony tried in a whisper to himself. Ziva looked at him curiously and Thomas hadn't heard.

"This is a cool car." Thomas said, a sudden energy jolt having hit him.

"Thanks." Tony grinned proudly as he glanced up in the rear view mirror to the little boy.

"You should get a car like this, Mom." Thomas said as he rested back against the seat.

"Do you not think the back seat is a little too small?" Ziva asked and Tony laughed.

"Well, I guess." He sighed as he quieted and watched the scenery go by.

"Here we are." Tony said as he pulled up to the front of the hotel and got out.

"What are you doing?" Ziva asked as she also got out and watched Tony lift a sleeping Thomas into his arms.

"Helping you." Tony grinned as he gave his keys to the valet and took the ticket. "You shouldn't be caring around a little boy, not with your back."

"My back? What about your back?" Ziva laughed as Tony followed her up to her room.

"Mine wasn't fractured, it's just knots." Tony said as he felt Thomas snuggle into him. "Whoa." Tony gasped as they entered the room.

"Thomas is a bit messy." Ziva laughed. "Like a tornado. That is why I call him Taz, sometimes."

"For Tasmanian Devil or Tony and Ziva?" Tony teased but Ziva glared. "Which bed?"

"This one." Ziva said as she removed some of Thomas' toys and pulled the covers back so Tony could lay him in the bed.

"Mommy, what about swimming?" Thomas asked softly as Ziva removed his shoes, socks, and jeans.

"We will go tomorrow." Ziva smiled as she kissed his forehead and pulled the covers back over him. "Go to sleep, my love."

"Light?" he whimpered as he looked around the room.

"I will turn it on for you." Ziva laughed.

"Love you." He sighed as he snuggled into the comforter.

"I love you too, Thomas." Ziva whispered and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Can we talk now?" Tony asked as he watched Thomas sleep. "Without screaming at each other?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Sure." Ziva nodded as she swept some hair off Thomas' forehead and continued to watch him sleep. "Do you see a Woody around any where?"

"What?" Tony chocked out confused with bugged eyes.

"Woody, from Toy Story Tony." Ziva laughed at the horrified look on his face.

"Oh." Tony laughed nervously as he looked around the room and spotted the stuffed toy on the table. "This is still creepy, Ziva."

"Yes I know." Ziva smiled as she took the doll from Tony. The toy was plush with huge brown eyes, a small nose, and the handkerchief covering Woody's mouth. The rest was the normal Woody attire. "But he loves it."

"If I remember correctly, I gave him to you." Tony said as he watched Ziva tuck the doll next to Thomas. Thomas stirred and cuddled himself up against the stuffed doll.

"You did." Ziva smiled as she stood from the bed and turned towards Tony. "Thomas loved him so I gave it to him."

"That was nice of you." Tony said as he looked past Ziva to the sleeping boy. "I bought him for you when I took you to see Toy Story 3."

"I remember." Ziva said as she glanced back to Thomas then led Tony out to the balcony. "It was one of your ways of apologizing for missing my ceremony."

"Yeah." Tony nodded as Ziva sat in one of the chairs and he leaned against the railing, looking out at Rock Creek Park. "It was the forth of July 2010 and you fought me every step."

"I did not want to go." Ziva smiled at the memory. "I was still so mad at you and it was my first forth of July as an American."

"And you didn't want to spend it with me?" Tony teased.

"That is not what I said." Ziva sighed as she leaned against the chair.

"And 3 years later-." Tony started but trailed off as he looked back at Ziva.

"Thomas was born." Ziva grinned.

"What was he like, as a baby?" Tony asked as he turned back to Ziva and slid down the railing to sit on the ground.

"Colicky." Ziva said. "And he did not like to sleep. Even after he got over the colic. He would just lay there and watch me."

"How'd you manage?" Tony asked as he rubbed his hands over his face.

"I cried a lot." Ziva laughed but Tony didn't find it amusing.

"What was his first word?"

"Mama." Ziva smiled proudly as she toyed with her Star of David necklace. "He was mad at me because I forgot his bottle at bedtime. He made sure I got it though."

"How old was he?"

"10 months." Ziva smiled. "He was a beautiful baby. Huge green eyes that were always watching and observing. Beautiful smile that often turned into a smirk when he was in trouble. He was and is also cuddler."

"Sounds like fun." Tony sighed as he crossed his arms around his knees and rested his head on his forehead.

"Tony, we talked about children before we even got engaged." Ziva started confused. "You did not really want them."

"So?" Tony asked as he looked up at her with a glare.

"I understand why you are upset about Thomas." Ziva said, slightly hesitant about continuing. "But-."

"Why am I this upset?" Tony growled. "You always want what you can't have, right?"

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked as she tilted her head slightly and observed Tony. "You can always have more children."

"No, I can't." He said with a clenched jaw and tight voice. "Let's just say there was a pursuit, a roof, a fall, a fence, and some difficult months of walking."

"Tony." Ziva gasped surprised by the anguish on his face.

"Don't." Tony hissed as he rested his head back against the railing and gazed up at the night sky. "I'm going to be in his life, Ziva, well the rest of it at least."

"After his birthday, I will tell him." Ziva said and Tony turned his eyes back to her.

"Why after his birthday? Why not as soon as he wakes up? Why not wake him up now and tell him?"

"I am not waking him up." Ziva glared. "He is not a good sleeper to begin with. So we also must keep our voices down."

"Then why not tomorrow? His birthday's on the forth, it's the second." Tony almost whined.

"Because I promised him last year that this year his birthday would not be so hectic and I would take him on vacation, of his choosing." Ziva explained and Tony seemed even more confused.

"What happened last year?" Tony asked as he pushed himself from the ground and sat next to her on the chair.

"Leukemia." Ziva whispered and winced when she heard Tony's gasp.

"So not only did you not tell me I had a son." Tony hissed through clenched teeth. "But my son had cancer and you didn't tell me. Cancer, Ziva!"

"Do not yell at me, Anthony." Ziva seethed as tears stung her eyes. "You have no idea what Thomas and I have been through. Even if you had known, what would you have done commute from D.C.? He deserves better than that."

"He deserves better than you!" Tony yelled back at her as he stood from his chair. "You're so selfish. You kept him from me, his father. So what if we don't live together and didn't get married? I wouldn't have been there all the time obviously, but as much as I could. More than what I was now. He deserved at least that."

"You don't think I know my son deserves better than me and what I can give him?" Ziva cried as she also stood from her chair. "He deserves a mother and a father that are in love, that live with each other, and that do not fight like we do. He deserves two full time parents. Every child does. Thomas deserves everything that we never had. Everything we ever wanted."

"I know that." Tony growled. "But something we never had _was_ a loving father."

"I know that." Ziva said. "But every other weekend isn't exactly what I had in mind for Thomas."

"It's better than him not knowing me at all!" Tony barked. "To him, I'm just a creepy guy that stares at him and used to be friends with you."

"Would you like me to tell him who you really are, Tony?" Ziva asked as she took a step closer to him. "His father, yes. But also the man that cheated on me, broke my heart, and said he never really loved me?"

"You know that was nothing but a drunken fight where we were both trying to hurt each other as much as we could! But that's not something he should know. Or something I want him to know." Tony gulped. "But if you are going to tell him different things about me. Why don't you add in how you broke my heart by dumping me as soon as your father found out about us when Gibbs left, how you dropped me and held a gun against my heart despite my broken arm, and yet I still saved your ass in that damn desert!"

"Mommy?" A small voice whimpered from the doorway.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Yes, sweetie?" Ziva asked as she turned to her son and stroked his dark hair as her other hand wiped tears from her cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" he asked as he let his mother lead him back into the hotel room.

"Tony and I were talking about something sad." Ziva said as she pulled the covers back and Thomas crawled back into the bed.

"Why were you in the desert?" Thomas asked as his big, tired green eyes looked up at his mother.

"Remember how I told you I had a really bad summer? That it is a story I will tell you when you are older?" Ziva asked as she sat on the edge of his bed and kissed his forehead. Tony stood at the foot of the bed watching. "Much older."

"Uh huh." He yawned.

"The desert is part of it." Ziva said as she stroked his cheek. "Did you want to get in your pajamas, or are you comfortable in that?"

"I'm comfortable." He said with another yawn. "Can you read me a story?"

"You know who is really good at reading stories?" Ziva asked with a smile.

"Who?" Thomas asked excited.

"Tony." Ziva said as she motioned back to Tony, who had a stunned look on his face.

"Really?" Thomas asked as he looked to Tony who nodded and shifted his weight nervously. "Do you want to read me a story?" He asked shyly as he leaned into his mother.

"Yeah." Tony said with a gentle smile as he gave Ziva a silent thank you.

"I'll get my book." He said as he hurried out of the bed towards the suitcase.

"I am going to change." Ziva said as she went to her own suitcase and pulled her pajamas out then headed into the bathroom.

"Here you go." Thomas said as he handed the book to Tony and hopped back into bed, burying himself under the covers.

"Love You Forever." Tony read aloud as he ran a finger over the thin book. A baby boy on the front in a messy bathroom.

"It's my favorite." Thomas smiled as he looked at Tony expectantly.

"Where would you like me to sit?" Tony asked as he looked around the room. Ziva exited the bathroom in a pair of baggy pajama bottoms and his old Philadelphia PD t-shirt. Her make up was gone and her hair pulled back and he found it hard to catch his breath as he watched her get into her own bed.

"Right here, silly." Thomas said with an almost duh tone as he patted the spot next to him on the bed.

"Okay." Tony said as he glanced at Ziva and walked around the bed. He flipped on light that sat on the nightstand and went to sit on the bed.

"Take your shoes off." Thomas ordered before Tony could sit down.

"Okay." Tony laughed as he kicked off his sneakers and sat next to Thomas on the bed. "Ready?"

"Uh huh." Thomas said as he lifted Tony's arm so he could cuddle into his side as he read.

"Okay." Tony said as his breath caught in his throat and he fought the urge to pull Thomas closer.

Ziva smiled as she watched her son cuddle with his father. She fought the urge to cry as Tony started reading and Thomas rested his head on Tony's chest with a yawn and draped his arm around Tony's stomach. Instinctively Tony wrapped his arm around Thomas instead of having it lay on the pillow behind him.

Soon the soft sound of Tony's voice lulled both Thomas and Ziva to sleep. He was determined to finish the book though, having never read it before. He finished and didn't bother trying to hide the hitch in his voice or the tears in his eyes since his audience was asleep.

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be." Tony promised in a whisper against Thomas' hair as he pulled the little boy closer to him. Thomas stirred and Tony was terrified he would wake up scared and confused but he threw his leg over Tony's, nearly kneeing him in his groin as he sighed and settled back into a deep sleep. Tony knew he should go home but he was too comfortable and content he wasn't even considering moving from his son's embrace.

He was too terrified he'd never have a moment like this again.

"Tony?" A little voice whispered a couple hours later. "Tony."

"Yes, Thomas?" Tony groaned as he opened his eyes, the light from the lamp he left on making it tough to keep them open. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." He said as his green eyes searched Tony's. He was obviously debating whether or not to voice what he was thinking.

"You sure?" Tony asked and Thomas nodded.

"Did you know my daddy?" Thomas asked in a whisper. He was obviously nervous as he broke eye contact with Tony and toyed with Tony's shirt.

"Do you know who your daddy is?" Tony asked as he tilted his head in an effort to have the little boy look at him again. He was pretty certain Thomas didn't who his father was, or was highly confused on who he was.

"Yeah." Thomas said as he pulled away from Tony and left the bed. Glancing to make sure his mother was asleep as he searched his suitcase and pulled a photo from his shoe. He returned to the bed and showed the photo to Tony. "Him."

"McGee?" Tony yelped as he gave Thomas a horrified look, then looked to see if Ziva had woke. "Who told you that Timothy McGee was your father?"

"I guessed." Thomas shrugged as he looked to Tony still waiting for his answer. His eyes filled with tears as he realized he was wrong. "I'm not right am I?"

"No, Thomas, you're not." Tony said as he reached up and wiped a tear from Thomas' cheek.

"But you know him?" Thomas asked as he looked back at the picture in his hands.

"Yeah, I know him." Tony said as he glanced to Ziva real quick finding that she was awake and watching them. She nodded and Tony looked back to Thomas who was still staring at the photo.

"Is he in this picture?" Thomas asked hopefully as he looked up at Tony, his eyes still watery.

"Yeah." Tony smiled. The picture contained several men: McGee, Gibbs, Ducky, Palmer, Dwayne, Tobias, and himself. "Right there." Tony said as he pointed to himself. He was standing in between Ziva and Abby and was curious as to how Thomas made the jump to McGee.

"But that's you." Thomas said as he continued to stare at Tony in the picture.

"Yeah." Tony smiled as he withdrew his hand and waited for a reaction from Thomas.

"You're my daddy?" Thomas chocked out as he looked up at Tony confused, hurt, yet hopeful. Tony nodded yes not trusting his voice. "Where were you?"

"Thomas." Ziva said startling both Tony and Thomas. "Come here."

"What?" Thomas asked softly as he moved from the bed to stand next to Ziva's bed.

"I love you. You know that right?" Ziva asked as she cupped her son's cheek.

"Yeah." Thomas nodded obviously confused. "I love you too."

"I know, sweetie." Ziva said as she fought her tears. "But there is something you should know."

"Ziva." Tony tried to interrupt but she sent a glare his way that shut him up.

"Tony is your father, yes." Ziva started as she stroked the little boys hair. "But he did not know that he was your father either until we saw him in the park."

"You didn't tell him?" Thomas asked as he dropped his mother's gaze and stared at the sheets.

"No, Thomas, I did not. I didn't know I was pregnant with you until I had already moved away from D.C. to Annapolis." Ziva tried to explain as she let the tears fall from her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Thomas asked confused as he pulled at the sheets. "Were you gonna be mad?" Thomas asked as he looked back to Tony.

"No." Ziva said drawing Thomas' attention back to her. "I did not tell him because I didn't want to share you with him." Ziva said trying to keep it as basic as possible.

"That's not fair." Thomas cried as he looked up at Ziva.

"I know, love, and I am so sorry." Ziva cried along with her son as she scooted closer to the edge of the bed and hugged him tight against her as they cried.

"Am I allowed to know him now?" Thomas pleaded as he pulled back from the hug and looked at Ziva.

"If you want to." Ziva said as she looked to Tony, who she was pretty sure hadn't blinked or breathed through the entire conversation.

"Okay." Thomas said as he crawled back into the bed next to Tony. "Do you want to know me?"

"Yeah, I really do." Tony said as he wiped another tear from Thomas' cheek. "If you want me to."

"I do." Thomas said as he got back under the covers. "Are you gonna get under the covers?"

"Sure." Tony said as he settled himself next to Thomas.

"I love you, Daddy." Thomas whispered into Tony's chest and he cuddled against him.

"I love you too, Thomas Zane." Tony smiled into his son's hair as he let a tear escape. He looked to Ziva who was still crying, but this time it seemed like happy tears.


End file.
